Satara medical students go on hunger strike

Satara medical students go on hunger strike

Urging the state government to act on its promise of transferring them to a regularised medical college after DMER deemed theirs unfit, 95 students from the Institute of Medical Science and Research in Satara, started an indefinite hunger strike yesterday at Azad Maidan.

Even after taking admission in the college in 2014, they have not got results of the first year exams or been transferred to a regularised college.

The reason being, their admissions were termed irregular by DMER, because the college did not follow the centralised admission process. While the state government has submitted a written support for the students in Supreme Court, there is no implementation on state's orders of accommodating them in regularised colleges.

Neha Sankhe, a student, said they were finally allowed to appear for exams following a 2015 SC order and the college was asked to pay penalty of Rs 20 lakh per student.

"It was only after 10% of the penalty was paid that we were allowed to appear for exams, but results were withheld. We then approached the admission regulation committee, but after that, only those who failed were asked to appear for re-exam," added Sachin Gupta, another student.

Pramod Dhande, one of the parents, said, "After challenging it again in the Supreme Court, in September 2016, the state filed an affidavit in support of students. The case was again dismissed. Now we are waiting for the state to act on its words." mid-day contacted Dr Pravin Shingare, Director of DMER, but he remained unavailable for comment.